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Disease: Congestive Heart Failure

Last update: June 2008

Intro

Congestive heart failure is where the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the needs of the body. It kills many people every year. A variety of medicines has been developed to treat it, but more are still needed. Many approaches are being explored and trials are underway with a variety of new treatments that may help people live longer and with a better quality of life.

FAQ

  • What is it?

    Congestive Heart Failure is defined as the inability of the heart to pump enough blood to meet the body's requirements. Commonly it results from some other disease such as high blood pressure, coronary artery disease or a prior heart attack. Initially, as the heart weakens, the body tries to compensate by releasing a variety of chemicals called 'neurohormones';. However, this further damages the heart and leads to changes in its structure that are ultimately fatal.
      

  • Who gets it?

    Congestive Heart Failure affects both men and women and gets more common with age. In Europe, approximately 3% of adults aged 45 or over have detectable heart failure.
      

  • What can be done about it?

    A variety of drugs have been developed over the years. Current treatment includes the use of diuretics (agents which increase water loss in the urine) and agents called ACE inhibitors (originally developed to treat high blood pressure). These may be combined with a low dose of a drug called a beta-blocker. Despite encouraging results, many people still die from CHF and there is a need for better therapies.
      

  • What does the future hold?

    Trials are underway with a variety of agents that damp down the action of the neurohormones. Research is also underway into compounds that help improve blood flow by lowering the resistance of the blood vessels, compounds which reduce water retention and those which may prevent unwanted cell growth in the heart.

    Looking further ahead, early research has begun into therapy using the precursors of muscle cells. It is hoped that these cells may help repair the damaged heart.